2018 Conference

Workshop

1. Workshop title
How much health should we teach? How much should students know?

2. Length: Half day

3. Proposed theme and justification
Many issues we discuss in environmental studies involve human health directly or indirectly and health issues are unavoidable in environmental science and sustainability careers. Students therefore need to have some degree of health literacy and capacity to evaluate the plausibility and context of health claims and to address health disparities. This workshop will explore what non-specialized knowledge and skill sets are required for environmental studies, environmental sciences, and sustainability (env s/s/s) to address common issues of and about health.

This workshop is the fourth of a series. The previous three (held at AESS 2016, NCSE 2017, and AESS 2017) explored the relationship between sustainability and health and opportunities to establish a dialogue on sustainable development for achieving health gains between the community of scholars concerned with environmental studies, sciences, and sustainability (envs/s/s) and health professionals (primarily medicine and public health). This workshop will build on findings of the series and focus on minimum health content required for env s/s/s students to deal with issues involving health.

4. An outline of goals and learning outcomes, and, if appropriate, plans for
communication of results
By the conclusion of the workshop, the participant will be able to describe the following and apply the knowledge to analysis of an academic program in environmental studies,
environmental sciences, and sustainability (env s/s/s):
 What level of health content is the norm for programs in a) environmental studies, b)
environmental sciences, and c) sustainability?
 What learning objectives are desirable for students in a) environmental studies, b)
environmental sciences, and c) sustainability?
 What are the core analytical skills required of students in a) environmental studies, b)
environmental sciences, and c) sustainability? (Should undergraduate epidemiology
courses be considered in preparation for environmental sciences?)
 What are the most common, recurrent health issues that students should understand at a mastery level in a) environmental studies, b) environmental sciences, and c)
sustainability?

Dissemination:
This workshop is the continuation of a series of three workshops in the series (AESS 2016, NCSE 2017, AESS 2017). The previous workshops explored the relationship between sustainability and health; proposed specific areas for students and scholars in environmental studies, environmental sciences, and sustainability could work together with health professionals (medicine and public health); and identified action items for cooperation and collaboration between env s/s/s students and scholars and health professionals. The discussion at the workshop will be the basis for a paper to be submitted to the 1) Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, or 2) the Journal of Environmental Education.

This exercise will also feed into a proposal for a session at the 2019 annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in Philadelphia, where the intention is to conduct a similar review of competencies in env s/s/s for health professionals, initiating the bridging process from the health side.

5. An outline of the progression of topics and types of learning activities or teaching
methods
1. What is currently taught to majors or graduate students in environmental studies,
environmental sciences, and sustainability (env s/s/s) about health?
2. What are the objectives of health literacy among env s/s/s students?
3. What concepts of health do students of env s/s/s need in order to understand the basics of their field? For future employment?
4. What basic skills in health analysis should env s/s/s majors master (assuming they
are not going into environmental health careers)?  
5. What is the minimum health content (fund of knowledge) that env s/s/s students should
be expected to know in order to understand health-related issues? (Basic toxicology,
microbiology, environmental health practice, childrens’ environmental health?)
6. What are the minimum health-related analytical skills that env s/s/s students should be
expected to apply or interpret to understand health-related issues in a critical manner?
(Basic epidemiology, critical thinking, risk science?)
6. A list of confirmed leaders and a sentence or two about their qualifications and
proposed role in the workshop.

Tee L. Guidotti is a physician specializing in occupational medicine, environmental health
(public health), and sustainability. He is a former department chair at George Washington Univ. and the University of Alberta, a former Fulbright Visiting Research Professor at the University of Ottawa, and is the author of Health and Sustainability (Oxford, 2015).

Elizabeth Friedman is a physician trained in both pediatrics and internal medicine who is
currently Senior Fellow at the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit at the University of Washington. She is interested in informed environmental advocacy and the interface between activism and science.

Sasha Adkins recently obtained a PhD from Antioch University and has been a Visiting Assistant Professor at Clark University and a midwifery apprentice. Sasha is interested in endocrine disruption and environmental justice. 

7. A brief description of the workshop (50 words or fewer to be posted on the
registration site)
Health issues tend to be sensitive, technically complicated, consequential, controversial, and fraught with reputational risk for advocates who are not licensed health professionals. Students need some degree of health literacy and capacity to evaluate the plausibility and context of health claims, to advocate responsibly, and to address health disparities.

Abstract
Health issues tend to be sensitive, technically complicated, consequential, controversial, and fraught with reputational risk for advocates who are not licensed health professionals. Students need some degree of health literacy and capacity to evaluate the plausibility and context of health claims, to advocate responsibly, and to address health disparities.
This workshop will explore:
1. What is currently taught to majors or graduate students in environmental studies,
environmental sciences, and sustainability (env s/s/s) about health?
2. What are the objectives of health literacy among env s/s/s students?
3. What concepts of health do students of env s/s/s need in order to understand the basics of their field? For future employment?
4. What basic skills in health analysis should env s/s/s majors master (assuming they
are not going into environmental health careers)?  
5. What is the minimum health content (fund of knowledge) that env s/s/s students should
be expected to know in order to understand health-related issues? (Basic toxicology,
microbiology, environmental health practice, childrens’ environmental health?)
6. What are the minimum health-related analytical skills that env s/s/s students should be
expected to apply or interpret in order to understand health-related issues in a critical
manner? (Basic epidemiology, critical thinking, risk science, ?)